1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to pain relieving devices and more particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for relieving pain by applying pressure to a particular pressure point of the body.
2. Description of Related Art
The medical industry has long tried to help people control their pain. The only problem is that with most chronic pain or illness, there is no cure. With most medications, people also have to deal with the side effects. The medical industry continues to develop and prescribe medication to help the general public. One of their main strengths is that people will do almost anything to relieve pain. Headaches are the most common pain that we have to deal with almost everyday. According to several health insurance companies, two-thirds of headache sufferers are women. Migraines are documented as one of the most common types of headaches. A doctor will usually diagnose a migraine based on the history of symptoms. In most cases, a physical and neurological examination will be entirely normal. Despite years of research, scientists still do not know exactly why migraines occur. Most people who develop migraines will continue to have intermittent headaches over years. According to the National Headache Foundation, most people who suffer from migraines do not need to see a doctor. A typical migraine sufferer will have several attack each month, lasting anywhere from hours to days. Tension headaches are also one of the top two headaches that people suffer from on a consistent basis. Tension headaches are related to excessive and/or constant stress. Stress is becoming a natural part of our lives, and for the most part, must be dealt with. Dealing with stress in any manner can still cause mild tension headaches that can affect our daily activities. There are thousands of Headache Support Groups across the US helping people deal with chronic headaches. People who are hyper sensitive to medication of any type simply have lost control of their ability to live a normal functional life. The cure can be as debilitating as the pain in most cases.
Current Solutions
What solutions do people currently have? There are over-the-counter pain relievers, such as Tylenol, Advil, Motrin, etc. There are also shots like Immitrex and others that people can inject themselves or get at a hospital or doctor's office. The costs are high and consistent, and all of these have some type of side effect, especially to people who are sensitive to pharmaceuticals; even Tylenol can put people to sleep for a few hours. To summarize the prior art headache remedies and their characteristics:    a) Pharmaceuticals: (Over the counter.)
1) Side effects: (Stomach problems, tiredness, and depression)
2) Consistent costs
3) 30 to 60 minutes for relief
4) Less effective day
5) Time Consuming    b) Hospitals:
1) Time consuming
2) Expensive
3) Loss of the day, possibly 2 or 3.
4) Follow up tests
5) Future days lost
6) Answer: Medication
7) Side effects
8) Less effective day    c) Doctors Office Visit:
1) Appointment date: (Usually days later)
2) Time consuming: literally hours most of the time
3) Loss of the day
4) Schedule tests
5) Loss of future days.
6) Return to doctor's office for test results.
7) Loss of another day.
8) Side effects from the medication.
9) Less effective days due to side effects.
10) Make another appointment with the doctor.
11) Lose another day in the doctor's office.
12) Hope that the new medication works.    d) Rest:
1) It works.
2) It's free.
3) It's safe.
4) Doesn't have any side effects.
5) The only problem is the ultimate problem. It's time consuming.
Western & Eastern/Drugs or Alternatives
The general public has the right to choose any method of pain relief that they want, and they are basically becoming more educated to their options as time continues. The more educated the general public becomes, the more successful alternative medicine will become. The pharmaceutical companies continue to develop medicines to alleviate pain as long as the doctors continue to prescribe them. Side effects are becoming more acceptable to those who have lost any hope of being pain free.
Since there is no scientific evidence explaining why people get migraines, then every time that a doctor prescribes a medication for this type of headache, he is testing it. We become the lab rat. Currently the industry evolves around treating the symptom and not the person as a whole. Scientifically there isn't always an answer for our symptoms that can be explained or researched under a microscope. This statement is the foundation of Eastern medicine.
The present solution to pain is rest. The entire industry is working to relieve pain, but practically all of their answers force you to slow down, or rest, (sort of ironic) because of the side effects of other treatments. The idea is to relieve pain so that you can continue to live a normal life, not to reduce the amount of time you have to actually live. The number one question currently at the top of the priority list for all of the industry is; “How can we help people control their pain without taking away from their life?”